November 8th, 2002

Grace Hill Media announced on November 7th, 2002 the development of a new Internet community, MovieMission (www.moviemission.com). The site will provide a unified forum for the religious community to improve the quality of Hollywood movies by targeting worthy films and actively supporting them opening weekend. In addition, MovieMission seeks to utilize those films as educational and outreach opportunities for churches across America.

Jonathan Bock, President of Grace Hill Media, explained, “The prospect of not only improving the quality of Hollywood films, but also utilizing great films to change the heart of America is what makes MovieMission such an exciting endeavor, worthy of the support of all Christians. Movie grosses speak to the studios, and by simply going to the movies, we will change the way Hollywood views us, as well as the types of films they make.”

Christians remain one of the largest markets untapped by Hollywood. According to Gallup, 43% of Americans attend church weekly-that’s over 120 million people. Bock elaborated, “If just 5% of those churchgoers attended the same film on opening weekend, it would mean an additional $40 -50 million in box office grosses. That’s the type of message Hollywood cannot ignore.”

Similar types of efforts by the African-American community have resulted in the production of more quality films by major studios aimed specifically at them. “It’s simply the principle of supply and demand at work. By supporting the studio’s worthy efforts, we reward them with hit movies and they reward us by making more films of quality. Everybody benefits,” Bock added.

MovieMission asks its members to commit to attend the opening weekend of one movie a month. The debut Mission Movie is Universal Picture’s upcoming release, “The Emperor’s Club,” starring Kevin Kline, in theaters nationwide November 22.

Jeffrey Sakson, Senior Vice-President of Publicity for Universal Pictures, commented, “We’re honored that MovieMission has chosen to lend its support to The Emperor’s Club. We’re immensely proud of this film that manages to be very entertaining, while at the same time saying something important about the need for ethics, integrity and character in our lives.”

MovieMission is dedicated to helping People of Faith view their relationship with Hollywood as a unique missionary opportunity. By targeting Christians’ entertainment dollars toward films that share their values and vision, the site and its members aim to change the religious community’s relationship with Hollywood and, in turn, motivate the studios to produce films that redeem and uplift.